Greg Sargent: Three big takeaways from the stunning GOP stock-selling revelations

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/20/three-big-takeaways-stunning-gop-stock-selling-revelations/

By Greg Sargent
Opinion writer

March 20, 2020 at 10:34 a.m. EDT

<snip>

The revelations raise questions about whether private briefings that Burr, the chair of the Intelligence Committee, received from Trump officials about the scale of the threat might have influenced the financial move. As The Post summarizes:

Burr reportedly was receiving daily briefings on the threat of the virus. In mid-February, he sold 33 stocks held by him and his spouse, estimated at between $628,033 and $1.72 million, Senate financial disclosures show. It was the largest number of stocks he had sold in one day since at least 2016, records show.

<snip>

Burr reportedly got daily briefings from the administration on the coronavirus threat. Surely this is one reason he was able to privately warn that things were dire. Yet Burr was also publicly claiming at the time that the U.S. was “better prepared than ever before” to handle threats like this one.

Obviously that was false -- and the question is what Burr had been told by the administration to the contrary.

Similarly, the Senate health committee, which Loeffler sits on, also hosted a private all-Senators briefing from the administration early on. What did all those Senators learn?

This line of inquiry goes far beyond Burr and Loeffler. It’s time to dig deeper into what the administration privately told lawmakers in real time about how bad things were going to get -- and into how sharply at odds that was with what administration officials and those lawmakers were telling the rest of us.

</snip>

[The Magistrate]

1. This Really Is Torch And Pitchfork Stuff, Sir

And the idea what was told cronies about the looming pandemic differed greatly from what was told to the public is likely to prove out.

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Even Michael Steele (fmr GOP head) is saying this is beyond the pale:

Link to tweet

Michael Steele ✔@MichaelSteele

And they wonder why the American people more and more want to burn this sh*t down. Pathetic self-serving grifters who call themselves "Senator". #Resign

Keith Boykin ✔@keithboykin

Four Republican Senators have now been implicated in this coronavirus insider trading scandal.

1. Richard Burr (NC)
2. Jim Inhofe (OK)
3. Ron Johnson (WI)
4. Kelly Loeffler (GA)

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/republican-jim-inhofe-dumped-up-to-450000-in-stock-the-fourth-gop-senator-implicated-in-scandal-report/ …

Michael Steele ✔@MichaelSteele

Meanwhile, Americans are watching their life savings wiped out on one day, their jobs lost the next day; they can't visit their parents or hug their children because of #coronavirus and these idiots make a mockery of that pain and fear by cashing in.

1:28 AM - Mar 20, 2020

P.S. It's GREAT to have you back - you were missed!

[dalton99a]

8. +1

[malaise]

4. That day is coming

Take that to the bank

[The Magistrate]

5. A Consumation Devoutly To Be Wished, Ma'am

"The only good Republicans I ever saw are dead."

[malaise]

6. We will both raise our glasses along with many others

So good to see you sir!

[The Magistrate]

7. Good To See You As Well, Ma'am

I mean that tag quote, by the way. In my youth there were more than a handful of decent Republicans, men and women now long dead.

On a side-note, a couple of years ago I stumbled upon Prince Buster, and enjoyed it immensely. Put some on when I need a lift and some cheer. Had no idea that music even existed before.

[Iliyah]

2. They were told that the virus . . .

was horrific and would probably kill a lot of people in the USA, mainly the middle class and poor and to adjust their stocks accordingly, but keep quiet.

[dalton99a]

9. +1. Greedy, soulless ghouls

[shockey80]

10. I hope they all fucking die.